Vehicle body construction



Sept. 12, 1939. R. H. POWELL 2,172,405

VEHICLE BODY CONSTRUCTION Filed March 16, 19157 2 Sheets-Sheet lINVENT'OE RALPH H. POWELL 'ATTOIENE Sept. 12, 1939. R. H. POWELL2,172,405

VEHICLE BODY CONSTRUCTION Filed March 16, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i E HINVENTOE.

PAL PH H. Paws/.1.

ATTOKNEYS Patented Sept. 12, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates generally to bodies for motor vehicles, and moreparticularly to those types of pleasure car bodies provided with anenclosed storage space at the rear thereof to which access is had uponopening a suitable closure.

An object of this invention is to provide a vehicle body with whichmeans is associated to enable the capacity of the storage space to begreatly enlarged while being readily accessible for loading andunloading operations, all without in any manner detracting from oraltering the exterior appearance and design of the body when theenlarged storage space is not in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a vehicle body wherein thestorage space thereof has associated therewith a movable load supportingsection, the movement of which is coordinated with the movement of theclosure for the storage space, all in such manner that according as theclosure occupies open or closed position, the movable section willoccupy a projected or retracted position, to accordingly co-act with thestorage space in greatly enlarging its capacity or be concealed withinthe storage space so as not to alter the exterior appearance and designof the body.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists in thecombinations and arrangements of elements as set forth in the followingspecification and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation, partly broken away, andillustrating one form of vehicle body construction embodying thisinvention;

Figure 2 is a View similar to Figure 1, and showing the storage space asenlarged by the invention;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure1.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1, and showing a modified form ofvehicle body construction embodying the invention;

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure4.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Figures 1 to 3,inclusive, the invention for the purpose of illustration is shownassociated with an automobile body I0 of the coupe type, the portionthereof rearwardly of the seat II providing a storage space I2 definedby a floor I3 and side walls I4-I4 rising therefrom and leaving thestorage space open from the level of the floor I3 to the highest pointof the curved deck I 5. The storage space is thus open rearwardly andupwardly of the body, and this opening is adapted to be closed by acover I6 conforming to the deck curvature of the body and pivotallymounted by pairs of arms II-I'I upon pintles I8-I8 secured to the sidewalls I l-I4 of the body, as shown in Figure 3.

By means of a handle I9 the cover I6 can be swung from the closedposition shown in Figure 1 to the open position shown in Figure 10 2,wherein the cover is disposed in the forward portion of the storagespace I2 so as to leave the latter unobstructed for access from the rearand sides of the body.

Coactin-g with the storage space I2 is a means for enlarging thecapacity thereof, which comprises a movable load supporting section inthe form of a drawer, the bottom of which defines a platform 2| fromwhich rises side walls 22-22 spaced from the body side walls I4-I4, 20and a rear end wall 23 hinged at 24 to the platform and adapted tofunction as a tail board. The end wall 23 can be retained in its raisedposition by a suitable catch 25, and in its lowered position by alimiting chain 26. 25

By means of longitudinal guideways 21-21 on the floor I3 receiving guidestrips 28-28 on the side walls 22, the section is mounted in the body atsubstantially the level of the floor I3 for movement rectilinearly fromthe retracted 30 position within the storage space I2, as shown inFigure 1, to the projected position shown in Figure 2, wherein thesection provides a rearward continuation of the storage space I2 andthus co-acts therewith to greatly enlarge the load carrying capacitythereof.

For the purpose of co-ordinating the movements of the cover or closureI6 and the section 20 in such manner that the section will be moved toprojected or retracted position accordingly as the cover is opened orclosed, the following opercentrically mounted freely on the pintlesI8-I8 to constantly mesh with pinion gears 30-30 freely mounted onpintles 3I-3I secured to the body side walls I 4-I4. Also freely mountedon the pintles 3| are relatively large gears 32-32 which are fixed tothe respective pinion gears 30 and constantly mesh with rack bars 33-33fixed to the side walls 22 of the section 20 so that the angularmovement of the cover from one extreme position to another will bemultiplied and converted into rectilinear movement of the section in theaforestated relationship.

When the cover is closed, the section is entirely concealed therebywithin the storage space so that the exterior appearance of the vehiclebody is not detracted from. Furthermore, it will be noted that the coverin its closed position tends to remain therein, under the weight of thecover rearwardly of the pintles 18 so as to maintain the section 20retracted, as shown in' Figure 1, and that in its open position thecover tends to remain open under its weight forwardly of the pintles I8so as to maintain the section projected as shown in Figure 2.

Reference will now be had to Figures 4 and 5 which show a modified formof operative connection between the closure 16a and the load supportingsection 20a. This operative connection comprises coil springs 34-34disposed between the side walls of the section 20a and the storage spaceI2a and secured at one end to the vehicle body as indicated at 35-35. Attheir other ends the springs are secured to the section 20a as indicatedat 36-36 so that with the springs loaded when the section occupies itsretracted position shown in full lines in Figure 4 the springs will urgethe section to its projected position shown in broken lines in thisfigure.

Journaled on the side walls of the storage space by means of pintles38-38 are pulleys 39-39 over which are trained, cables 40-40 secured atone of their ends to the arms Ha of the cover lBa as indicated at 4l-M.The cables are secured at their other ends to the side walls of thesection 20a adjacent the forward end thereof, as indicated at 42-42 sothat when the cover is closed the cables will maintain the section 20ain its ret'racted position. However, upon opening the cover the springs34 will take up the resulting slack in the cables and concurrently movethe section to its projected position. Thus the movements of the coverand section are co-ordinated be moved to projected to retracted positionby the cover is opened or so that the section will position by thesprings or the'cables according as closed.

The cover lBa can be identical in construction to the cover l6 so as tocompletely close the opening of storage space, or, as shown in Figure 4,can terminate at the top of the section 20a when fully retracted. therear wall 23a of the section providing a smooth continuation .of thecover to conform to the curvature of the deck I5 and thus not detractfrom the exterior appearance of the body. 7

From the foregoing description, it will be manifest that the inventionprovides simple and substantial means by which a pleasure typeautomobile body can be adapted to the convenient carrying of loads ofrelatively large bulk in comtion and concealment of mercial or otheruse, by the simple operation of opening the cover for the storage space,and that when the cover is closed, the original appearance of the bodyis restored by the automatic retracthe section 20 or 20a within thestorage space.

I claim:

1. A vehicle body having a storage space; a closure movably mounted onthe body to open or close said storage space; a load supporting sectionmovably mounted on the body to project from the storage space or beretracted thereinto; and means operatively connecting the closure tosaid section by which the movement of one is co-ordinated with the otherto cause the section to be projected when the cover is opened and beretracted when the cover is closed; said section having a rear wallco-acting with the closure to close the storage space when the sectionis retracted.

= 2. A vehicle body having a floor and side walls coacting to define arearwardly and upwardly opening storage space; a closure for saidstorage space, mounted on the body to occupy a closed position or anopen position wherein the closure is disposed forwardly in the storagespace; a load supporting section having a rear end wall and side wallsspaced from said side walls of the body; means mounting said section onthe body for movement to occupy a retracted position in the storagespace or a projected position wherein the section forms a rearwardcontinuation of the storage space; and means disposed between the sidewalls of the body and section, operatively connecting the latter to theclosure for movement .j

of the section to projected or retracted position according as theclosure is opened or closed.

3. A vehicle body having a rearwardly opening storage space at the rearend thereof; a cover for closing the opening of said storage space;means pivotally mounting said cover to occupy a closed position or anopen position wherein the closure is disposed forwardly in the storagespace; a load supporting section; means mounting said section in thestorage space to occupy a retracted position therein or a projectedposition wherein the section forms a rearward continuation of thestorage space; and means operatively connecting the closure and saidsection, by which the latter will be projected or retracted according asthe closure is opened or closed; the pivotal mounting of the closurebeing in the storage space at a location for the closure when open, toleave the load supporting section unobstructed for access from above andfrom the rear of the vehicle body, by disposing the closure in advanceof the forward end of said section in the storage space.

RALPH H. POWELL.

